SynthesisThe American journal on addictions2023
A systematic review of virtual reality therapies for substance use disorders: Impact on secondary treatment outcomes.
Synthesis in The American journal on addictions, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for adults with substance use disorder that have a co-occurring mental health disorder: an umbrella review and illustrative cost-effectiveness analysis.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Applications of Immersive Virtual Reality for Illicit Substance Use: A Systematic Review.Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs · 2024Pooled it
- The Effect of Aversive Therapy Using Virtual Reality on Craving, Depression, and Self-Efficacy: A Pilot Study in Patients Under Methadone Maintenance Treatment.Brain and behavior · 2025Trial
- Effects of virtual reality-based cue exposure therapy on craving and physiological responses in alcohol-dependent patients-a randomised controlled trial.BMC psychiatry · 2023Trial
- Article
- Are virtual reality (VR) interventions for substance use disorders designed for implementation? A rapid review of platform characteristics and clinical fit.Research square · 2026Article
- Assessing usability and acceptability of a VR digital therapeutic for treatment of substance use disorders.Journal of social work practice in the addictions · 2026Article
- Context features influence alcohol reward and motivation.Alcohol, clinical & experimental research · 2026Article
- Immersive Virtual Reality-Supported Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Patients With Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders: Two Exploratory Studies.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2026Article
- Virtual Reality-Based Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Symptoms in Children: Framework Development and Standardization Study.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Transcending Self Therapy Virtual Reality Expansion: Effect on Engagement, Completion and Temporal Usage Patterns.Journal of medical extended reality · 2025Article
- A superior colliculus-originating circuit prevents cocaine reinstatement via VR-based eye movement desensitization treatment.National science review · 2025Article
- Piezo Ion Channels and Their Association With Haptic Technology Use: A Narrative Review.Cureus · 2025Review
- Barriers to adopting therapeutic virtual reality: the perspective of clinical psychologists and psychotherapists.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- A Bibliometric Study of the Evidence About Applying Virtual Reality in Mental Health Care.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2025Review
- Transcending Self Therapy-Virtual Reality (TST-VR) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Completion in Veterans.Journal of medical extended reality · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesVirtual reality (VR) therapy may be an effective tool in treating urges and cravings in substance use disorder (SUD). Given the high co-occurrence of difficulties with mood, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation with SUD, this review sought to examine the extant literature on the efficacy of VR for SUD in improving these secondary treatment outcomes.
methodsA systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines in PubMed, PsychInfo, and Embase. Studies were included if they utilized immersive VR, were conducted with individuals with substance use disorder/dependence/misuse, and included measures of mood, anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, or retention in treatment.
resultsSeven articles met our inclusion criteria. Five studies were conducted on patients using nicotine and utilized a cue-exposure intervention. VR was effective at reducing substance use and cravings in the majority of studies. Results on the efficacy of VR for improving mood, anxiety, and emotional regulation were mixed. Work examining retention in treatment was limited. DISCUSSION AND
conclusionsVR for SUD has the potential to improve mood and anxiety symptoms as well as retention in treatment for patients with SUD, particularly if the therapy targets these psychological symptoms. Future studies examining components of VR for SUD in individuals with drug use disorders, as well as examinations of targeted interventions for associated mood, emotional dysregulation, and retention in treatment, are necessary. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first systematic review of the impact of VR on mood, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation for individuals with substance use.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.